Combining youth and experience to tackle Le Mans challenge

The next round of the FIA World Endurance Championship brings Proton Competition to the season’s marquee event: the 24 Hours of Le Mans (13 to 14 June). Christian and Michael Ried’s team arrives at the Circuit de la Sarthe in western France as one of the most seasoned outfits on the grid, having competed at no fewer than 18 previous editions of the world’s most iconic endurance race.

In the largest class in the 2026 edition, LMGT3, the pair of Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3 will take on 23 rival entries from a range of other manufacturers, including Ferrari, Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG. Eric Powell, Ben Tuck and Sebastian Priaulx will be behind the wheel of the #77 car, while Stefan Gattuso, Giammarco Levorato and Logan Sargeant continue their partnership in the #88. Both squads have enjoyed excellent qualifying performances so far this season and already boast top-10 finishes.

With one Le Mans already under his belt, 22-year-old Levorato is looking to build on last year’s experience and aim high in 2026: “Last year was all about learning and gaining experience; this year, the goal is clear: fight for a strong result and aim for the top step of the podium. Our Ford Mustang LMGT3 has shown strong pace so far, and that’s thanks to the hard work and commitment of Ford Racing, Multimatic Motorsport and Proton Competition. We’re ready to give everything we have to achieve the best possible result.”

The first of Proton Competition’s two LMP2 entries is the #9 Oreca 07 piloted by full-season ELMS driver Jonas Ried. The young German will be joined at Le Mans by Japanese star Kakunoshin Ohta and up-and-coming Brit Harry King, both of whom will be making their 24 Hours of Le Mans debuts.

“I’m delighted to be trusted by the team to compete in my first Le Mans 24 Hours,” said King. “It’s a strong lineup, and with the backing we have I feel we’re well placed for a competitive result. Although I will be 100% focused on the task ahead, I’m sure there will be moments during the week where I will pinch myself!”

In the second LMP2 machine, Horst Felbermayr Jr. returns to the Circuit de la Sarthe for his sixth appearance at the Vingt-Quartre Heures and his first in prototype machinery. Joining him for a tilt at the LMP2 Pro-Am class battle will be the pair of talented young drivers Horst Felix Felbermayr and Lorenzo Fluxá.

The action kicks off on Wednesday with free practice as well as qualifying, which will determine the teams that advance to Thursday evening’s Hyperpole shootout. The race itself goes green at 16:00 on Saturday local time. Fans in Germany can follow all the action free-to-air on NITRO, as well as via the series’ official streaming platform, FIAWEC+.

Schedule

Wednesday 10 June
14:00 – 17:00 Practice 1
18:45 – 20:00 Qualifying
22:00 – 00:00 Practice 2

Thursday 11 June
14:45 – 17:45 Practice 3
20:00 – 20:50 Hyperpole – LMGT3 & LMP2
23:00 – 00:00 Practice 4

Saturday 13 June
12:00 – 12:15 Warm-up
16:00 Race start

Sunday 14 June
16:00 Race end

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Copyright: Proton Competition (Paola Depalmas)